She Drums To the Beat of My Heart
by VanillaPancakes
Summary: A K-ON! Fanfiction. Mio and Ritsu have always been best friends, but what happens when new found feelings start emerging? Not to mention Mio's fanclub starts going too far. A story about the love between a bassist and a drummer.
1. Chapter 1

**It was the middle of the school year in Ritsu's second year in junior high that she learned about the LGBT community.**

_The young girl sat in the desk at her computer, browsing a popular video site when she saw the title._

_"Otsuji Kanako, Openly Lesbian Candidate, Runs For Japan...?" She read questionably to herself as she hovered over the link._

_Of course she had heard of the word before, but only rarely on television, and when she did hear it, little was said to entail exactly what it meant. Such a word has little depth in Japan. A taboo to most. It was something that was often swept under the rug, and she had just discovered the built up dirt and dust many attempted to hide. Curious to unlock the secrets of society, a young Ritsu hesitantly clicked on the video._

_The video started with a woman, who was presumably Miss Otsuji. She talked about how she wanted to challenge the hidden minority groups in Japan, assuming this was referring to the LGBT members of society. Ritsu, stunned, watched intently as the woman talked about equality for all. Hearing someone speak about something so trivial led Ritsu to want to learn as much as she could about the topic._

_One thing after another, and eventually Ritsu gathered a pretty ground idea of the term 'lesbian'. She learned all about the current news of the LGBT community in a matter of hours, and when she had read all she could about it, she stopped to reflect on how she perceived herself._

_It felt like she was finally able to describe what she's been feeling inside for so long. She always talked about marrying Mio in kindergarten, and when she exclaimed her excitement to her parents, they had told her such a thing was 'immoral'. At the time, she didn't understand why it would be considered bad, but she never spoke of it again after that. She never saw two girls holding hands like boys did. After all these years of questioning, she finally understood what it all meant._

_She quickly cleared her browser history and decided she should head to bed, she had school tomorrow after all. It was already quite late when Ritsu slithered into bed, but she just couldn't stop thinking about things. She couldn't be the only one who felt this way, could she? No, there was no way with all the billions of people in the world. For once, she didn't feel so alone, but she wasn't able to get a wink of rest that night._

_She was excited at the new discovery, and it was all she could think about over the following few weeks. Then she really started to realize why almost everyone kept quiet in the LGBT community in her community. Most people viewed same-sex relationships as a lustful act of disgrace, and surely she would be viewed the same way. She couldn't tell anyone. Not even Mio. Especially Mio. If she wanted to retain one of the only friendships she had, Mio couldn't know about this. Period._

**During the summer before her last year of junior high, she was browsing a book store when she saw a book with two girls on the cover.**

_Ritsu was just casually scanning the manga section when she had to do a double take. She found a section that she had never noticed before. The majority of the book covers had girls who seemed to be in a relationship on them, but she saw one that had particularly perked her interest. On the cover, two girls in an intimate embrace, their lips so, so close. Ritsu gulped as she felt her cheeks begin to heat. _

_She had no idea there were books like this out there! She just had to know what was inside, but she couldn't be seen doing so._

_She looked around to see if anyone was nearby, only to find that she alone in the organized and colorful isle. She sneakily picked up the first volume and hunched over, just in case anyone passed by so that they wouldn't be able to see what she was looking at._

_Slowly she thumbed through the first chapter of the book, her mind grasping at each and every word. When she reached the end of the chapter, the two girls were locked in a sensual kiss. That was definitely something Ritsu hadn't seen before._

_'So... Girls can do this kinda thing too...?'_

_Ritsu stood there for several moments, debating on whether or not she should take the book to the counter for purchase. She was scared, nervous, and... excited! Never had she seen anything like this before, and she knew she had to have it, but is it really worth the embarrassment and having to keep it hidden?_

_After gaining enough self-confidence, she was able to pace to the counter. She turned the book onto its back and saw it had a rating she didn't meet, but maybe she could convince the clerk? The young man raised his brows at the young girl as she set the book on the counter._

_"Aren't you a little too young for this, kid?" He asked as he picked it up in his hands, turning it over to better examine the bright and colorful cover._

_Ritsu can be pretty cocky when she wants to, and she wasn't going to back down just yet. She scoffed and placed her arm on the counter, bending over to place the majority her weight on it._

_"No way. I'm old enough to do anything I want!" She said, though she tripped a little on her sentence towards the end. She brushed it off and gave the man a smirk. The book was rated sixteen plus, and Ritsu was clearly too young to be purchasing such content._

_"You know what? Why not. I'd hate to ruin a kids curiosity." He said slyly before ringing the book up. Ritsu nearly choked on her spit in surprise at her accomplishment, and before she knew it, she was sitting at home in her bed with the book in her hands._

_It was way past her bedtime, and if she were to get caught, the results would be devastating, but Ritsu was already halfway through the manga, and there's no way she could stop now. She scanned every word, she traced every picture, and she held the book so close to her face that everything around her faded into nothing._

_She was the main protagonist Yuuko. She was pursuing her cute junior. Things were heating up, and before she knew it..._

_' "Yuuko-senpai... Ahnnn~ you're making me so hot..." '_

_' "I know you love it... I know you love the way my tongue feels Aya-chan..." '_

_It was three AM when Ritsu finally finished the steamy manga, and oh boy. Things. Were. Great. _

_Ritsu closed the cover and held the book to her chest, a spur of indescribable emotions boiling in her mind. She never knew there were so many intimate things between a couple. So many little things that can drive someone crazy. It made her think of what those kinda things would feel like to her._

_Ritsu did as many chores as she could to earn money. Every week she got paid, she went and bought a new lesbian manga, and she even crafted a friendship with the young clerk. He would recommend some titles to her, to which she would purchase. Before long, she had a secret stash of lesbian manga under her bed, all ranging from cute and fluffy, to hot and wild. As long as no one would dig around in the boxes she hid them in, she would be fine._

**The school year was nearing its end when she ran into a clique of girls she was acquainted with from her school at the bookstore. They ended up spotted the book, but it was already too late. Ritsu was already at the counter with the book. The cover was enough to provoke question from anyone who saw it.**

_It was an over-the-top steamfest that she had chosen that day, a book with a girl groping another on the cover. It pretty much spoke for itself. She had become more comfortable with shopping in the bookstore, so she did little to hide her content from the mostly non-judgemental community that surrounded her. She was known as that little lesbian girl by the workers, nothing to be disrespected, and she could practically buy anything without question at this point. _

_The girls walked in just as she set the book on the counter, but she didn't even notice them because she was too busy sparking up a conversation with the clerk._

_"Oh! It's Tainaka-san-" One of the girls started, but stopped. Just as Ritsu turned, she saw their eyes on the book on the counter. It took a moment for poor Ritsu to register just what was happening. When she finally understood, she did her best to block their view, but they had seen enough._

_With shocked expressions, they quickly turned and left the store. Ritsu was beet red at this point._

_"Oh my god... I can't believe that just happened." She mumbled as she turned to the clerk. He seemed to understand the situation without having to ask, and he looked at her with a frown._

_"Damn... Hey, it's happened to me before. Had my mom catch me with a hentai I'd picked up. How about I give this one to you half-off?" He said as he gave her a sympathetic look. Ritsu honestly wanted to run home and cry, but alas, she could not refuse such an offer. She was extra careful to hide the book when she got home, and not even the sexual content of the manga could cheer her up._

_She had been careless. She had made a mistake. That much was obvious, and she was going to pay the price for it._

_The next day at school, she heard the word whispered numerous times throughout the day. Lesbian this, lesbian that. It didn't take long before everyone from every grade seemed to know, but fortunately enough, her friend Mio seemed completely oblivious to the situation._

_Ritsu was able to shelter Mio from the things people were saying about her sexual orientation, but one day, when they were walking home together, they got stopped by a group of girls and boys from their class._

_"Hey, Akiyama-san? Why do you hang out with her?!" A boy taunted loudly as he whipped around in front of them on their way to the train station. Mio seemed shocked at the confrontation and did her best to shrink down and hide. The boy seemed rather proud of himself for what he did and the others with him all looked on with smug grins._

_Ritsu felt a pang of hurt in her chest, and looked on at the sneering crowd. She had done her best to prevent any of this from happening with Mio around for the past couple of weeks, but it looked like it would all come to an end. She would lose the only friend who had ever stuck by her side. Everyone would always leave because they didn't like being around someone as brash and playful as Ritsu. Except Mio. She was the only one who had stayed._

_"B-Because she's my friend..." Mio whispered softly. A few of them laughed at her comment, which only caused Mio's face to redden. A girl walked up to Mio, a kind smile on her face as she extended her hand. Ritsu knew her._

_She was one of the girls who loved to spread rumors about people, and Ritsu was her favorite target. From assaulting girls' in the bathroom, to trying to pay for a prostitute, anything this girl could think of would certainly be passed around the school within minutes. She was certainly creative, Ritsu would give her that._

_"Come on, Akiyama-san. You're too good to be friends with someone like her. You can be our friend instead!" She offered. _

_Mio looked out at the outstretched hand in front of her before turning her gaze to Ritsu. Ritsu saw in Mio's eyes that she didn't want to be their friends, especially since the majority of them used to bully her when she was younger. Ritsu put an end to Mio being bullied real quick, but when it came to her, she seldom stuck up for herself. Now was one of the rare times she did._

_Ritsu smacked the girl's hand away and stood in front of Mio, arms spread as if shielding her._

_"Mio is my friend. Now leave us the hell alone before one of you gets your ass kicked."_

_The girl stepped up to Ritsu, albeit slightly taken aback by Ritsu's choice of language._

_"Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it?!-" The girl was cut off by a solid fist in her face. Ritsu was never someone to talk without taking action._

_The girl staggered back and clasped a hand to her blood trickling nose. She looked at Ritsu with a stunned expression before gazing over to her group. A few of them began running away, and eventually she did the same. The adults in the area looked on with disapproval at the misbehaviour that had just taken place._

_"I don't understand why they were being so mean to you, Ritsu..." Mio said with a soft voice. They were now in Ritsu's room sitting together on her bed. Ritsu gave her a sad smile and placed a hand on Mio's back._

_"People are just like that sometimes, Mio. Don't worry, I'll always be here to protect you from people like that." Ritsu said in a promising tone. In that moment, she witnessed the sweetest smile she had ever seen._

**Mio and Ritsu had been friends for the longest time, and that's always how Ritsu thought of Mio, until they went shopping together.**

_It was the beginning of summer vacation before highschool._

_Even though Mio insisted they start on homework, Ritsu convinced her they go shopping for some summer clothing. Ritsu was still bullied, but none of it involved Mio. She kept it that way._

_"R-Ritsu..." Mio whined from her fitting room. Ritsu had just finished putting her clothes back on after having tried on a few outfits. She stepped out of from her dressing room and inched towards the one right next to hers._

_"What's wrong?" Ritsu asked with a bit of concern. Mio had wanted to try on a few things Ritsu had picked out for her, but of course refused to show Ritsu what they looked like. She was too embarrassed. Mio cried a bit before speaking once again._

_"I-It's stuck..." She said softly, a hint of exasperation in her voice._

_"Huh?"_

_"The dress..."_

_Ritsu stood silently for a few seconds._

_"Do you need help?" Ritsu asked at last._

_"Please..." Mio sniffled back. "You can come in, it'll be fine since we're both girls..."_

_'Both girls...' Ritsu thought. If only Mio knew the weight of that phrase._

_Ritsu slowly walked into the dressing room to find Mio with the light pink dress Ritsu picked out raised up and stuck around her midriff. It had taken quite a bit of persuasion to get Mio to try it on, but she secretly knew Mio wanted to as well. _

_Ritsu blushed deeply as she caught sight of Mio's body, her eyes scanning across the milky white skin. Cute lacy panties, and a matching white bra. That's Mio for you._

_It took her several moments to snap out of her thoughts and come to her friend's aid._

_"Here, let me try pulling it up." Ritsu said. Mio waved her arms in what could only be assumed as permission. Ritsu grabbed the middle of the dress and started pulling up, but to no avail._

_"It's stuck on something."_

_"Stuck on what...?!" Mio asked in a hushed sob. Mio distressed, began to whine, and Ritsu couldn't help but find this situation quite amusing, but now wasn't the time for that, at least that's what she told herself._

_"Uh... Let me see here..." Ritsu pulled once again, and looked down to find the source of the problem. "Oh..."_

_"What...?!" Mio whispered in frustration._

_"It's stuck on your boobs, Mio." So was true. The part of the dress that covered her chest wouldn't slide up._

_"..."_

_Ritsu was on the verge of loosing her shit at this point, and she let a small snicker give it away._

_"This is not funny, Ritsu...!" Mio hissed in embarrassment as she tried to swing her arms at Ritsu, but failed. Ritsu couldn't hold back her laughter now, and she began laughing hysterically. Mio looked like a deranged person trying to hit Ritsu like this, and there was no one who wouldn't find this hilarious. Well, no one except the raven haired girl herself._

_"Stop laughing...!"_

_"I'm sorry...!" Ritsu choked out as her eyes began to water. "This is just... So fucking funny...!"_

_Mio swung her arms once again and managed to land a hit on Ritsu's shoulder. Ritsu finally began to calm herself down and sighed heavily._

_"Okay, okay." Her voice cracked a bit but kept herself from laughing again. "Hold your boobs down."_

_"...What?"_

_"...You know, just... squish them down to your chest."_

_"Ritsu, you pervert!" Mio said rather loudly before swinging another arm towards Ritsu. This time, she smacked Ritsu right across the face, and that certainly was enough to knock the humor away from the situation. Literally._

_Ritsu gave Mio an annoyed look before rubbing her aching cheek._

_"Do you want to get out of this dress or not?" Ritsu said with irritation._

_"..." Mio waggled her arms a bit before groaning and shifting her body towards Ritsu. "I can't get my arms down there to hold them..."_

_Ritsu thought for a moment, an idea springing to her mind that made her blush. It would work, though. "Mio, I have an idea, but you're not gonna like it."_

_"What now?"_

_"I'm sorry." Ritsu apologized slowly before sliding her hands under the top of the dress and placing her palms on Mio's ample breasts, just above her bra. This part of her felt as soft as it looked._

_"R-Ritsu...!" Mio yelped in surprise and tried to step away. Ritsu pressed her hands deeper and held her breasts down to her chest._

_"Okay, pull."_

_"Ritsu what are you?!-"_

_"Pull, Mio!"_

_Mio gripped the end of the dress and pulled, and she finally got the dress to her neck. At last. Ritsu removed her hands as Mio slid the dress over her head. Mio was panting in exhaustion, her face a lovely crimson._

_She looked up at Ritsu, a shocked and relieved look on both of their faces at the fact that it had worked, but then Mio remembered what had just happened. She gave Ritsu a pissy and embarrassed look before throwing the dress at her._

_Ritsu caught the dress and turned to the side to hide her smirk. Mio began to hurriedly dress herself again, but in that time, Ritsu was able to slyly observe her body. Thick creamy thighs, curvaceous hips, and big breasts._

_Ritsu noticed she was staring, so she quickly left the dressing room before it was too much. The people who had been shopping around the fitting room gave her curious looks, but she didn't pay attention to them. There was only one person on her mind._

_'Just when had Mio grown up so fast? It seems like just yesterday we were kids, and now she has such... an adult body.'_

_Ritsu looked down at her own body. Her chest was flat, and her figure was boyish. She pursed her lips in dissatisfaction._

_Mio finally exited the dressing room and did her best to avoid eye contact with Ritsu, which was understandable. Ritsu felt bad and wanted to apologize, but she couldn't seem to summon the words. There was no out of that than what they did, it's not as if Ritsu did it to take advantage of Mio. She'd never do that..._

_Yet that night, Ritsu couldn't seem to get Mio off of her mind. All she could think about was Mio's sweet voice, her soft noises, it was all to overwhelmimg. It was like Mio suddenly became intoxicating, and Ritsu only found herself wanting more! _

_For the first time, Ritsu found a release for this feeling while thinking of this feeling. She thought of all the little things she'd like to say. All the places she'd kiss. Mio's voice... It was enough to drive her over that incredible, dangerously wonderful edge. How long had she felt this way?_

_That's when she knew she thought of Mio as more than just a friend, but how long had these feelings lived inside of her? She couldn't tell anyone, especially Mio. It wasn't right to Mio. _

_She had to crush these feelings before she got hurt._


	2. Chapter 2

**Ritsu was running around the school frantically looking for her dark-haired best friend. Mio had told her she was going to join a club she liked this morning on the phone, but she hung up to leave for school before Ritsu could ask about what it was. She had to find her before Mio turned in the application.**

_Ritsu actually took to looking at the clubs the school had listed in the brochure a few nights before, but she hadn't had the time to tell Mio about it with having to prepare for everything. She didn't think she would find a club that really peaked her interest, but she was surprised._

_"The Light Music Club, huh?" Ritsu asked herself. She wasn't really a fan of what most people would classify as 'light music', but she figured it was better than the actual orchestral band. Her mom didn't like her playing her drums at home, so Ritsu rarely had the chance. As long as she gets to play instead of letting her kit gather dust, she's fine. _

_And Mio played the bass too. Ritsu was the one that had gotten Mio into music after all. The club would be a perfect match for the both of them!_

_She came to an intersection in the school's hallway and turned her head to the left. No sign of her. Ritsu whipped her head right and spotted the raven haired girl in the hallway. Ritsu smiled and began walking towards her._

_Not many people from her middle school attended Sakuragaoka Highschool, so she didn't have to worry too much about being bullied. At least not until the rumors got around. _

_Sakura High was a prestigious girl's only school. It had a long history, and it was one of the most respected schools in the area. Graduating from there would give you a leg up in the future, but all the hard work was something that Ritsu definitely didn't want to deal with. _

_The only reason she worked so hard for the entrance exam was so that she could go to the same school as Mio, who had a guaranteed chance to attend. Ritsu had never studied so hard in her life and she never wanted to ever do it again._

**When she got the news that she had made it in, barely, she called Mio immediately. The two of them chattered ecstatically for about and hour. If Mio hadn't helped her study, she wouldn't have made it in at all.**

_"Thank you." Ritsu had whispered to Mio on the phone. The line went silent for a moment before Mio's voice cracked through._

_"You're welcome, Ritsu."_

_Ritsu had cradled the pillow on her bed with a smile after that warm conversation, and she thought about all the things they would be able to do together. She had never felt happier._

_She wanted to spend as much time as she could with Mio since they don't have the same class together. She didn't know anyone in her class, so she felt pretty awkward in there. During lunch she set out to find Mio before she turned in her club application._

_"Mio!" Ritsu said loudly as she approached from behind. The girl inn front of her turned around, a white slip of paper in her hand._

_"Ritsu?" Mio asked back curiously. Ritsu grabbed Mio's shoulder and smiled at her._

_"Let's go check out the club!" Ritsu said as she started walking Mio towards the club room. _

_Mio stopped her and raised her eyebrows at her._

_"Which club do you mean?"_

_"The Light Music Club!" Ritsu said excitedly as she grabbed the bass player once again and started walking. "What do you think?"_

_Mio raised her hand and waved the sheet of paper towards Ritsu. "But I was planning on joining the Literature Club."_

_"Huh?"_

_"I've already filled out the application form." Mio answered as she turned the paper around for Ritsu to see._

_"Hmm..." Ritsu looked at the paper with a pout and grabbed it in her hands. She narrowed her eyes, and without thinking, ripped the sheet into two._

_"Ah! What do you think you're doing?!" Mio shouted is shock. Ritsu just shrugged at her before pulling her along._

_"Come on, let's go! Move it, move it!" Ritsu demanded playfully, a bright smile on her face. Those around gave them curious glances and whispered to each other about the scene, but the two of them were on their own world._

_"Cut it out!"_

_They walked to the teacher's office to talk to the respected Miss Sawako. To their dismay, they found out that the club had been disbanded due to the remaining members graduating, and with a lot of hard work, they decided to recruit members._

**That was how it all began. Before long, they had enough members to deem the club legitimate, and so forth, the Light Music Club was back in business... for the most part.**

_One of the first members they'd recruited was a blonde girl by the name Tsumugi Kotobuki, a keyboard playing rich girl. She had originally wanted to join the chorus, but something about the Light Music Club drew her in. That, and Ritsu wouldn't let her back out even if she wanted to. To make things simpler, they shortened her name to Mugi._

_The last member on the other hand... well, she was a trip. Yui Hirasawa, the bands guitar player, the member that would complete their band and help form the club. Which was great and all, except she has no prior experience with the instrument. It was better than nothing, though, and as long as it kept the club running, Ritsu figured they could help her learn guitar. After she buys one of course._

_Luckily, Mugi was in the same class as Ritsu, so she had someone to talk to everyday. Mio didn't have anyone in her class that she knew and Ritsu was admittedly worried about her, though Mio told her she would be fine._

_At first, Ritsu was unsure of how to interact with these new friends. The drummer knew every little action that was right or wrong, everything she could and couldn't say, but that was only with Mio, and they weren't Mio. How was Ritsu supposed to know when she crossed the line?_

**She mostly stuck to Mio's side, afraid of messing things up with the kind band members that had given her a chance for friendship. Apparently, Mio had caught drift of her avoidance because one day after their club practice she confronted Ritsu.**

_The other girls had already left for home after a day of eating pastries and drinking tea. The only practice they got in was about five minutes just so Yui could show off her improvement. All was silent between the two of them. Ritsu had been concentrated on getting every speck of dirt off of her drum kit, while Mio was packing away her instrument and cleaning the table._

_"You don't really talk much to them." Mio commented. It wasn't a question, or a confrontation, it was a fact. _

_Ritsu stopped wiping down one of the drums and sighed. She was surprised Mio had noticed, but she did tend to notice more and more about how Ritsu acted nowadays._

_"Yeah..." Ritsu said quietly as she turned her gaze to Mio. Mio had finished what she was doing, and it was just then that Ritsu realized Mio had been watching her for a while. She felt a feverish shock along the back of her neck, and looked away from the bassist's eyes. Those intoxicating, dark eyes. They always seemed to pierce into the darkest parts of Ritsu's soul, and she always had to make herself look away in fear of one of her secrets being revealed._

_"Don't you like them?" Mio asked, her eyes still drilling into Ritsu. Ritsu fidgeted with the wet wipe in her hands for several seconds as she thought._

_Of course she liked them, but she was scared. Scared they would find out about her sexuality and abandon her. What if they found out and told Mio, and then Mio didn't want anything to do with Ritsu anymore? What if they acted like her friends, but talked shit about her behind her back? All the friends she had besides Mio had done just that._

_"I do like them, Mio. It's just hard to make new friends, I guess..." Ritsu said at last. She allowed herself to make eye contact with Mio from her position on the floor. Mio gave her a soft smile._

_"I can see what you mean, but I think they're good people." Mio paced towards Ritsu before crouching down on the floor in front of her. She placed a hand on Ritsu's shoulder, her tender touch making Ritsu's mind fog. "You've got nothing to worry about as far as they go."_

_Mio was right. Ritsu couldn't distance herself from everyone, especially whenever they made an effort to get to know her. Yui and Mugi didn't seem like they'd have any ill intentions. She'd let herself be too closed off._

_Since when had she matured so much?_

_"And if I'm wrong, you can rub it in my face." Mio said jokingly before standing back up. She extended her hand towards Ritsu._

_"Oh, that'll be the day. Mio Akiyama being wrong. It's so shocking it could make headlines." Ritsu retorted before grabbing her hand and standing up in front of Mio. She may have held onto that hand a few seconds longer than she should._

_Mio pulled back her hand and playfully punched Ritsu's arm before grabbing her instrument._

_"Come on, let's get heading home."_

**After that talk with Mio, Ritsu started opening up to the other band mates, and they soon developed a deep bond. Unfortunately, the universe seems to make sure the good times don't last.**

_The girl's were switching their shoes before they left to go home. Ritsu opened her locker and saw a small slip of white paper feather down to the floor. Ritsu at first thought it was a love letter, and being curious, she read it._

_'Faggot drummer.'_

_Ritsu was shocked. The bullying had followed her after all. She should've known better than to feel so safe from it. She felt her gut wrench in a pained sadness and bit her tongue._

_"Ritsu?" Mio called from the shoe aisle next door. She heard the raven haired girl's footsteps approaching. Before anyone else could see, Ritsu crammed the note into her pocket and put her school slippers in her locker._

_"Are you ready?" Mio asked as she surfaced from behind the lockers. Ritsu faltered a smile and looked at Mio._

_"Of course."_

_They all walked home together, but Ritsu wasn't as chatty as she had been recently with her friends, though none of them seemed to notice. She couldn't let them know. She absolutely had to keep it a secret, but she felt a small, tiny part of her wanting open up and tell them all about it. She crushed that part of her and continued on with her life._

_Everyday was visited with whispering, followed by more notes in her locker, which gradually began to increase. It became harder to hide the notes, and her sexuality from her friends, but she managed._

**One day Mugi discovered that the Light Music Club had not been registered as an official school club because Ritsu forgot to turn in the paper work. She didn't want everyone to be upset with her. She tried fixing the problem, only to find out they needed a club advisor. They could only think of one person to ask.**

_"But I'm already a club advisor, it would be too much for me to take on two clubs." Miss Sawako said with a sympathetic tone. Ritsu's hope sank at the news, but Yui had remembered something._

_They found out that Miss Sawako had been a former member of the Light Music Club, in a band called 'Death Devil'. Her respective image had been shattered, and Ritsu was able to bribe Miss Sawako to take on the role as the club's advisor._

**With time, it had become apparent the Sawako wasn't as oblivious to things happening around her as the rest of Ritsu's friends were.**

_"Miss Tainaka." Sawako asked as she entered Ritsu's classroom. She scanned over the students until she spotted that yellow headband. "I'm sorry, I need to speak with Miss Tainaka." Sawako apologized to the teacher, who gave her an exasperated look._

_Ritsu compliantly walked to the door before Sawako shut it behind her. She gave Sawako a curious look, confused to as to why she would be called out during class._

_"What is it?" Ritsu asked, crossing her arms as she looked up at older woman. The woman in question frowned at Ritsu._

_"I... I know about the bullying Ritsu. I know you're..." She trailed off, twirling her hand as if to signify the word. Ritsu's confidence broke, and she immediately became defensive, denying everything that Sawako was saying._

_"I have no idea what you're talking about." Ritsu stated, her voice a bit shaken. Sawako folded her hands against her upper thighs and looked at Ritsu with disbelief._

_"I heard some girls talking about it... So you're not a lesbian then-" Sawako started, but was quickly interrupted by Ritsu frantically shushing her. She raised her eyebrows at the younger girl, a sign that she knew Ritsu wasn't telling the truth._

_Ritsu sighed and avoided Sawako's eye contact. "What if I am?" Sawako shrugged and gave Ritsu a small smile._

_"It's not as if I care. Between you and me..." Sawako said before coming closer and whispering into Ritsu's ear. "I've had my fair share of dating girls. I guess I don't really mind if the person is a boy or girl."_

_Ritsu looked at Sawako in amazement that she had told something so secretive to her, a move that was done to surely help calm her down. Ritsu never thought she would find someone who understood._

_"Well, about the bullying... I can handle it." Ritsu said, changing the subject. Sawako's smile disappeared, and was replaced with a dissatisfied look. Ritsu was bluffing, and she had no plans on trying to stop the tormenting. As far as she was concerned, she probably deserved it..._

_"Ritsu..."_

_"You can't tell anyone else. Not about the bullying or... you know. I-If you do I'll tell everyone about your infamous highschool life." Blackmail. It was something that seemed to keep things in the closet, quite literally in this situation._

_Sawako pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation. She didn't like that trade off, and for a moment, she almost thought about risking her sweetheart image for Ritsu's sake, she was a teacher after all. Ritsu wouldn't be happy though. Sawako figured she wouldn't tell the school's head about the bullying, but if she saw it herself she would make the children stop._

**Everything continued smoothly from there on out, besides the small hiccups with Yui's guitar practice and who would be singing at the school festival... Or Mio's infamous debut, which Ritsu may or may not have found appealing.**

_"Hmm..." Ritsu groaned as she kept her eyes cast downwards from her sunken position in front of the locker she had been shoved against minutes earlier. She stared at the different colored shoes in front of her body. One pair of red, a senior, two pair of green, juniors, and a pair of blue shoes from her grade._

_After Mio's fanclub was formed, the bullying grew into physical confrontations. First, it was just a couple of light pushes here and there, then it had developed to this... Bruises and bleeding. She hid the feelings for Mio easily, becoming numb to them, yet the fanclub was still at her throat._

_Red scoffed before spitting on Ritsu. _

_"Better not turn Mio-tan into a filthy fag." Blue one._

_"You don't deserve to live, pig." Green. _

_'Maybe she's right.'_

_"Why haven't you killed yourself already?" Blue two._

_'Should I?'_

_One of the shoes in front of her jumped out and kicked her hard in her side, causing the breathe in her lungs to become shallow. Ritsu bit her tongue to keep from crying out. She didn't know what color the shoe was this time._

_She closed her eyes and held them tight, sure that her aggressor's weren't finished, but she was surprised to hear footsteps walking away. The girls giggled together as if they hadn't just beaten another person. Disgusting..._

_Ritsu waiting until she couldn't hear them anymore before she opened her eyes. She was alone. She made sure she left the club last everyday so that none of her friends would be around when she was beat up. It was for the best._

_It had been like this for a few weeks now, and Ritsu didn't know how much longer it would go on. She wouldn't go the bathroom when she needed to because girls would torment her in there. She avoided every situation she could._

_When she went home, she'd count all the bruises on her body that she'd receive that day in the mirror before her bath. Luckily they were in places that Ritsu could easily conceal. It wasn't a surprise Ritsu's mom didn't notice. Her mom was barely home. _

_Suicide danced around in the back of Ritsu's mind on a daily basis, but she had to hold out. For her little brother. For her friends. But most of all, for Mio. Even if she couldn't have Mio's heart, she still wanted to be around her. Just seeing her smile and hearing her laugh was enough for Ritsu._

**This bullying on, and finally the school year was coming to a close. The seniors were graduating, and it seemed as if everyone was too busy admiring them to remember to abuse Ritsu, thank god. She finally had a break.**

**And with that, came the new year. Not only was it a break from her tormenting, but a break in general. She spent it with her new comrades, and when the school year finally began, the rumors about Ritsu had spread to the freshman like wildfire. Luckily, when the physical abuse started up again, the majority of first years were too intimidated to beat up their senior.**

_"Welcome to the Light Music Club!" Multiple voices shouted in enthusiasm. The small girl in front of them flushed and tried to hide her face from the rest of the girls, though the cat ears on her head were still visible. Yui lunged at the girl, who's name was Azusa Nakano, and held her close. Ritsu couldn't help but notice the way the two interacted together, and wondered if possibly they could be like her._

_There's no way. There was no way someone could be like Ritsu. The closest thing was Sawako, but she figured Sawako was bisexual._

_When Ritsu first found out she figured maybe it wasn't so uncommon, but the constant beatings taught her otherwise._

_Ritsu was a monster. She must be. What kind of person would be able to fully love someone of the same sex and have no interest in the other? At least Sawako still liked men, but Ritsu... liking girls, particularly a certain bassist. It was wrong. At least that's what she told her self in an effort to drown her feelings._


End file.
